Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 83
The lxxxiii. PSALM.
When Senacherib instigated by his own ambition and others solicitation, was preparing with all the power he could make to fall upon Iudah, some men of God, either good Hezekiah, or some Prophet composed this Psalm, relating the whole design and consederation by way of complain to God: praying him to lay it to heart, and to do for his Church and judge his enemies as he was wont, and thereby get himself glory amongst those that are not his people, as well as amongst those that are.
A Psalm probably committed to Asaphs successours (rather than made by himself) by the penman of it, Psalm lxxiii. A song or Psalm or (or for) Asaph.to be sung and plaid by them.
1 O God,1KEep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. do not thou sit still in silence, neither be careless of the condition that both thou and we are about to fall into; it is high time for thee to be-think thee, O God, concerning it.
2 Considering the vast preparations that are making of a tumultuary army,2For lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee, have lift up the head. consisting of diverse confederate nations, instigated by our pestilent neighbors and inveterate enemies the Ammonites and Moabites, who grow sure and confident upon it to have a day, and to subjugate and do by us, as thou for our sakes hast heretofore done by them.
3They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.3 They have negotiated this league with much subtility and solicitation against us the remainder of thy holy seed and chosen people, and combined their heads and hands with the Assyrian and others to ruin, and utterly root out those few Israelites that are left, and do possess a narrow room in this great Kingdom which once was such▪ and that have no other hope nor help but thy sanctuary, and thine own residence in it amongst us, under the wings whereof we shelter and secure our selves, hoping by it for defence and protection against this mighty combination and deluge, that is flowing down upon us.
4They have said, come, and let us cut them off from being a nation: that the name of Israel may be no more is remembrance.4 Promising themselves an absolute issue in this their undertaking, utterly to destroy us as they have done the ten Tribes, and so to put a finall end to the name of Israel, who is brought at this day very low.
5For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee.5 And indeed to speak humanely, it is no hard thing for them to do, such an army as this is, made up of so many nations, unanimously agreed all of them to war upon thee, for so thou knowest it is, for though it be against us, yet it is for thy sake, because we belong to thee, and profess thee and thy worship.
6The Tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites: of Moab, and the Hagarens.6 Our near kinsmen born originally together with us of godly parents, are chieftains and ringleaders in this confederacy against thy Church, but that is no news, for when were they other, or how can other be expected from such a degenerate generation? as Esau hated Jacob though his brother, so do the Edomites (his posterity) hate us, those Arabians with their Tents and military provision are coming against us, & with them the Ishmaelites the sons of Ishmael that old enemy of Isack his brother, who because he could not be coheir with him, his seed are at open enmity with us; and so are the Moabites Lots incestuous brood, and all them that came of Hagar the Egyptian bond-woman, who have ever hated us free-men, her Masters legitimate of-spring sole heirs of Abraham, and his promise.
7 With these kinred of ours,7Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek, the Philistines, with the inhabitants of Tyre. are conjoyned forrainers of strange names and nations, as the Gibbits borderers upon Sidon, yea, both far and near have they commixed their forces, for with them are the Ammonites our near neighbour that incestuous generation, and the Amalekites Esaus posterity, also our old enemies the Philistines that brood of cursed Ham; with the Citizens of Tyre that famous place and rich people.
8 All these have combined their forces,8Assur also is joyned with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. and the better to effect their design, have joyned themselves to the King of Assyria and he with them, and all against us: that great nation is confederate with our enemies the Ammonites and Moabites who are backed by them, and upon whom they bear themselves so high, being confident by their means to ruine us.
9 But,9Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as …o Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brooks of K… son. Lord, how easie a matter is it for thee to defeat the hopes of our adversaries, and overthrow this mighty confederate army, and deliver thy people as thou hast done heretofore: magnifie thy self therefore, O Lord, put forth thy power, do by these as we well remember thou didst by the Midianites, though they were like Graslioppers for multitude, yet with the noise of broken Pitchards in the hands of Gideons handfull of men, didst thou rout them, and set their swords one against another to their own destruction, likewise, as thou didst to Sisera the Generall of Jabins mighty Host, when they encamped with nine hundred Chariots, and a strong army at the river Kishon to fight against a small force of the children of Israel, gathered onelyonly out of the Tribes of Zebulon and Naphtali, under the conduct of Barak and Deborah, who yet utterly subdued them.
10Which perished at En-dor; they became as dung for the earth.10 Even that great army, with all the confederate forces of the Kings of Canaan, which then so freely unhired, aided Jabin (when all Israel shamefully declined Barak save those few) perished at En-dor near to Taanack by the waters of Megiddo, where they sought to rally and re-enforce the battell, there were they hewed down and slain by Barak and his men, hot in actuall pursuit of his victory gotten at Kison, so that their carcases lay spread there like compost upon soil, rotting upon the superficies of the earth in multitudes unburied.
11Make their Nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea all their Princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna.11 Let their Nobles and great men, all the Princes and chieftains of this aggregate body that comes to invade us, speed as did those Kings and Princes of the Midianites Oreb and Zeeb, which were taken in their flight and beheaded. Zeba and Zalmunna whose Host was smitten, & themselves slain by Gideons own hand.
12Who said, let us take to our selves the houses of God in possession.12 Let these proud enemies of ours and thine come to the same end, that with such malice and carnall confidence invade thy land and people, and stick not to promise themselves the possession of the one, and the enslaving of the other, and utterly to dispossess thee of both, and to ruin both thy worship, and all those places where it was used to be performed, the Temple and Synagogues, or to pervert and turn them to their own Idolatrous usages.
13 O God,13O my God, make them like a wheel: as the stubble before the wind. in whom we thy poor Church do trust for preservation, and defence against this confederation, turn their projects upside down, make giddy their counsellours, and amuze their designs: let them no sooner rise but fall, have no success in what they project or attempt, bring nothing to an issue; let them and their undertakings be as vain, uncertain, and ineffectuall, as light and loose straw before the wind thats scattered, and tossed hither and thither.
14 As a fire caused by thunder and lightening,14As the fire burneth the wood: and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire. and enkindled with the wind, violently breaks forth, and consumes whole woods and forrests, the flames whereof reach the tallest tops of trees that grow upon the highest mountains, formidably appearing to spectatours far and near, and consumes them as easily as the lowest shrubs.
15 Such,15So persecute them with thy tempest; and make them afraid with thy storm. Lord, let be thine anger, and so do thou break forth in thy fiery indignation, upon this huge army of numerous associats that march like a wood against us; by an Almighty power and with terrible judgements (as tempests from heaven) do thou confound and astonish them that thus affright, and purpose to destroy thy whole Church and people at once, to the amazement and terrour of all that see or hear it, spare neither great nor small, high nor low, but in thine enraged jealousie destroy the destroyer, as well Prince as people.
16 So cross their designs,16Fill their faces with shame: that they may seek thy name, O Lord. disappoint their hopes, and confound their confidences, that this enterprise may be for their shame, not for their honour, and that by experience of thy power to deliver thy people, and subdue thine enemies, they may be wrought upon, and forced to beg pardon and compassion at thine hands, acknowledging thee for sole Lord and God of all the earth; whom they now so much contemn, and mean to despight, if thou wilt suffer them.
17Let them be confounded and troubled for ever: yea, let them be put to shame and perish.17 Do thou, Lord, so affright and astonish them, as they may never dare to enterprise against thee any more; and so shamefully defeat by some strange overthrow this their invincible confederation, that these invadours may have, neither heart nor power to meddle in this sort again.
18That men may know, that thou whole name alone is Iehovah, art them …st high over all the earth.18 That so, not onelyonly thine own people, but others, even all these Idolatrous nations that know nothing of thee, but what thou enforcest upon them by sense and experience, may be made to confess, that thou, who indeed art, and onelyonly art the Almighty and everliving Lord, art not onelyonly to be acknowledged by us, but that the whole earth as well as we, ought to pay thee Homage, as the sole Sovereign God of Gods, and Lord of Lords.